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Miller
17% (53)

Amador
80% (251)

I don't vote in judge races
3% (8)

The lone election for Superior Court judge on the Nov. 6 ballot pits prosecutor Robert Amador against Jim Miller Jr., a private attorney from El Cajon who touts his diverse legal experience.

One key issue in the race has been qualifications — the San Diego County Bar Association rated Amador well qualified and Miller not qualified.

Some of the most high-profile legal names in the county are urging voters to pay attention to the bar. Miller and the Republican Party say there is more to the story.

Superior Court judges preside over civil, criminal, family, juvenile and probate cases. They can decide life in prison, assess millions of dollars in damages and rule on the custody of children.

There are more than 110 active Superior Court judges in San Diego County. Some are appointed by the governor and then subject to election by the voters. Others, like Amador and Miller, run for an open seat. Judges serve six-year terms.

Amador, who is 55 and a 29-year deputy district attorney, says he is the best candidate because he has proved himself in tough situations, including the prosecution of a death penalty case. By his count, he has handled more than 100 jury trials and 250 court trials. He admits to a lack of experience in the civil realm, but believes his criminal law expertise carries over to civil cases.

“I think until you’ve actually done a lot of things in the criminal justice system, you’re not really prepared to be a judge,” he said.

Miller, 42, is an attorney in El Cajon specializing in family law.

Miller’s legal experience is broad; he emphasizes his work in the five areas of the county court. He touts outsider status with pride. He believes his civil law background is sorely needed in courts overrun with judges who were once prosecutors and other government attorneys.

Nonpartisan races

The contentiousness of this race began before the June primary. While judicial races are nonpartisan and generally are not run on political issues or positions, it is not unusual for candidates to highlight partisan endorsements.

A registered Republican, Amador has some support from the other side. The county Democratic Party, while not endorsing Amador, passed a resolution advising Democrats not to vote for Miller. Amador’s list of endorsements includes high-profile members of both parties, as well as independents.

Miller is backed by the county and state Republican Party and many local tea party groups, including the Chula Vista Patriots and the Fallbrook Tea Party.

Miller served as a pro-tem, or fill-in, judge for the Superior Court since 2008, but was removed from the list this spring. The executive office of the Superior Court would not release details on Miller’s removal, although East County Magazine has reported that Miller was posting on Facebook about his cases.

Miller said he was just expressing his First Amendment rights to speech. He didn’t name names, he said. Regardless, “the stodgy fuddy-duddies,” as he called some members of the bench, were upset.